The present invention relates to asset management systems and, in particular, systems for providing a management architecture accessible from remote Internet-compliant browsers to provide real-time functions relating to the access, configuration and administration of various features associated with fuel dispensers and other forecourt devices including, but not limited to, card authorization terminals, video/merchandising displays, advertising, and price posting signs, in addition to point-of-sale (POS) devices at any particular store location and related inventory management systems.
Historically, there has never been an organized system for remotely managing various aspects of a fueling site or convenience store in both an efficient and comprehensive manner. In particular, viewing real-time status and configuration information of convenience store and fueling station devices has always been an operation done locally at a particular site. These functions, such as pricing and advertising, have been handled separately on a customer""s proprietary network, but complete store management functionality has never been available. Normally, most management procedures are manual and very costly. Software updates require certified technicians to visit the site, load the software and test its functionality.
Equipment failures often go unnoticed until the operator""s business is affected due to unhappy customers. The operator will then call the distributor and report the error, often with very sketchy and unhelpful details. The certified technician then has to visit the site to troubleshoot the unit before being able to assess the problem and acquire the appropriate parts which may require a second costly visit. In short, requiring the touch of a qualified technician is both expensive and time consuming. Furthermore, if a problem arises that causes the devices to be shut down, waiting for a technician to arrive to diagnose the nature of the problem and then make a return trip to repair the equipment results in additional lost sales and general customer dissatisfaction which, in the highly competitive fuel dispensing market, may lead to the permanent loss of a customer. Although various attempts have been made to provide technicians with information to diagnose the problem, information gathering has always been an expensive, manual process requiring qualified personnel to phone or visit the site to survey items such as equipment age, configurations and hardware and software versions.
Currently, Gilbarco and other dispenser manufacturers offer POS systems allowing remote, off-line viewing of inventory and sales data of a convenience store through a proprietary, third-party interface. This interface is costly and inconvenient because it requires dedicated applications and tools to access the interface. Furthermore, each system is different and requires technicians from the manufacturer to make any changes to the system in order to upgrade, reconfigure or test the system. Thus, there is a need for a uniform management system capable of accessing the various devices in a fueling environment to provide remote configurations, upgrades and real-time monitoring. There is a need for a capability that allows service contractors, equipment manufacturers and store management to access the various features and aspects of the system to view sales and inventory data, change prices, transmit software upgrades, access configuration information, and monitor operation and status of various devices from remote locations.
Earlier attempts at using the Internet to provide real-time functions were unsuccessful because monitoring live status of devices, particularly those on the forecourt, does not fit well into the orthodox world wide web architectures.
The present invention fulfills these needs by providing communication servers at each device in a fueling environment and connecting the servers to a common network. The network may be a local network or a largely remote network, such as the Internet. Preferably, in either embodiment, primary communications between these devices and any devices accessible via the Internet use the hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) and hypertext markup language (HTML). In particular, each device server is adapted to facilitate real-time access between the device server and the remote device upon access of a particular page, script or function. In particular, the present invention relates to embedding executable content into an HTML page so that when the page is loaded onto an HTML browser after being accessed, the executable content starts running automatically without additional compiling, translation or manipulation of the HTML code. Preferably, the executable content will act to connect the browser back over the network to the same device from which the page was accessed.
In certain embodiments, the connection may be to a new network port or address, other than that of the page, that supplies real-time status data or opens a connection capable of downloading software data for reconfiguration or updates. Furthermore, the connection back over the network may use a different protocol in order to increase data transfer or control efficiency. Example formats for this executable content are Java(trademark) xe2x80x9capplets,xe2x80x9d which are small applications that conform to a restricted set of programming standards for running on HTML compliant browsers, or ActiveX(trademark) components, a Microsoft(copyright) standard for achieving the same functionality as a Java(trademark) applet, with less restrictions than Java(trademark). The tradeoff for functionality with ActiveX(trademark) components results in less security and a greater browser dependency.
Alternatively, the system may use techniques that allow a server to keep a connection open to a browser after the HTML page has been downloaded and to periodically send updated HTML pages. The updated pages will result in continued refreshment of data. Notably, in either of these two embodiments, applicants use an embedded function, which includes any function incorporated in or associated with an HTML page, script, function or like structure. The embedded function acts to facilitate either a new or continued connection between the remote browser and the access server. The function may operate at the server to continue a communication link or operate at the browser to reestablish or provide a new communication link. Configuring a server at the various fueling environment devices with a remotely accessible page having embedded content allows remote, automatic access to the server and connected control systems to enable real-time functions and communications between the browser control systems through the accessed server.
Accordingly, one aspect of the present invention is a fuel dispenser facilitating remote management functions comprising a housing and a dispenser server at the housing including a control system, a network connection and a dispenser server task running on the control system. A hypertext markup language-compliant page on the server is accessible through the network connection. An embedded function is associated with the page and is operable to facilitate real-time functions between a remote browser and the server system over a network. The dispenser also includes a fuel delivery system associated with the housing having a fuel supply line, a metering device, a delivery hose and a nozzle to permit the dispensing of fuel. The embedded function may be operable to run at the server when the remote browser accesses the page to maintain a connection between the server and the remote browser through the network connection. Alternatively, the embedded function is configured to be sent to the browser with the page when the remote browser accesses the page and is operable to run at the browser to provide a connection between the server and the remote browser through the network connection. The real-time function may include providing software upgrades, data upgrades, reconfigurations, audio delivery, video delivery and delivering control functions for various dispenser components. In the embodiment where the embedded function is sent to the browser to run, the function may operate have the browser connect back to the server using a different protocol, at a different port or address.
The dispenser may be connected to a local network including a central control server apart from the fuel dispenser and having a central control system, a central network connection, and a central dispenser server task and browser running on the central control system. A router may be provided for facilitating network connections.
The invention may also be incorporated with various other fueling and retail environment devices to provide similar real-time functions including updating pricing gathering, inventory status, and changing prices and displays on signs, in addition to numerous other management functions for the various devices from a remote location without local intervention.
These and other aspects of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art after reading the following description of the preferred embodiments when considered with the drawings.